Syracuse's CJ Fair grabs one of his game-high 10 rebounds in front of San Diego State's Winston Shepard in second half action in the "Battle on the Midway" in San Diego. Dennis Nett/The Post-Standard

San Diego – The wind transformed the fluttering flags aboard the USS Midway Sunday to stiff, horizontal sheets. That breeze, so brutal during the Battle on the Midway, made any 3-point shooting foray a dangerous if not frivolous adventure.

But with 15:50 still remaining in the first half of this shipside matchup between Syracuse University and San Diego State, C.J. Fair caught a pass from Michael Carter-Williams, discovered an ocean of shooting space between him and the basket and fired a 3-point attempt.

The ball fell through the rim. It represented SU’s only 3-pointer of the game and established Fair at that point as the most destructive offensive force aboard the Midway.

“The game started and fortunately the first couple shots I had were jumpers,” Fair said. “I took ‘em, I made ‘em.”

“I’m not sure how C.J. made that one 3-pointer that he took,” SU coach Jim Boeheim said. “The wind must have abated there for a second.”

The wind did not abate on Sunday. And neither did Fair.

SU’s junior forward finished with 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting. He grabbed 10 rebounds and made two steals. The Orange established a critical early lead against the Aztecs and Fair was SU’s offensive weapon of choice.

He scored seven of the Orange men’s first nine points as SU vanquished San Diego State 62-49 before 5,119 basketball fans on the flight deck of the USS Midway.

“I felt very confident coming into the game,” Fair said, “and I saw that I was feeling it early so I was just trying to see how far I can go.”

“I think he was assertive, having the smaller guy on him,” SU guard Brandon Triche said. “He just played confident. He’s really good going left. He was able to make the shots that he normally makes. He got the pull-up in, he got the 3-pointer. He was on a roll and he got us started.”

The defender Triche alluded to was Jamaal Franklin, the Aztecs’ most notable player. Franklin, a guard by trade, is listed at 6-foot-5. SU lists Fair at 6-foot-8.

Fair sank a baseline jumper staring into the searing sun. He drove the lane and finished. He tipped in a missed Carter-Williams drive and slammed a lob pass that Carter-Williams delivered.

He even authored his own alley-oop. With SU leading 21-10, Fair tossed the ball to the wind, where Rakeem Christmas grabbed it and dunked it.

“He made me look good,” Fair said. “I’m not usually the one that’s throwing the oops. And he finished it with authority. I know that’s gonna be on SportsCenter, top five at least.”

Franklin described his defensive strategy on Fair in simple terms. He wanted, he said, to keep Fair out of the painted area where he could inflict the most damage.

Fair characterized Franklin as a “tough defender” who attempted all afternoon to influence Fair’s basketball thinking. He pulled his jersey, Fair said. He grabbed his hands. Fair spoke almost reverentially about a strategy designed to strip him of his characteristic cool.

“That’s smart on his part, though,” Fair said.

Late in the first half, Franklin fouled Fair beneath the Syracuse basket. Both players tumbled to the hardwood. Limbs tangled and words were exchanged before officials quickly intervened.

At that point, SU led 26-14. And Fair had already collected 11 of those Syracuse points. It was the one point in Sunday’s game, he said, that succeeded in annoying him.

“He fouled me. I don’t know if somebody pushed him over me,” Fair said. “But he stood over me a little bit too long than he should have. That kind of made me mad. But we shook hands after the game. And it was all love.”